Category: Uncategorized Page 3 of 482

Stag in National Park, Killarney

Photo:  Paul Madigan, Irish Wildlife Trust

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Picture and text from Vanishing Ireland on Facebook

Ever see one of these on a grave? It’s called a mortsafe. They were invented because after the Murder Act of 1752, surgeons could only dissect the bodies of convicted murderers who were hung for their crimes.

This meant only 30-45 bodies a year were ever available.

In order to be able to keep working however, Scottish anatomist, Robert Knox, would pay for any body which was brought to him regardless of the cause of death so he could examine it.

The problem then was people would break into graveyards and steal dead bodies and bring them to Knox.

The mortsafe was then invented to stop the bodies being stolen.

Up stepped Irish pair William Burke and William Hare, who heard of the value of the bodies and over a 10 month period in Edinburgh, killed 16 people and sold Knox the bodies.

When the were eventually caught, Hare was imprisoned and Burke was hung.

Burke was then ironically dissected and his skeleton is currently on display in the Anatomical Museum of the Edinburgh Medical School.

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Muslim Sisters of Eire

Charity and care of the poor is a bedrock of the Muslim faith. Indeed it is a basic tenet of Christianity as well.

This group of Irish Muslim women distribute food at the GPO in Dublin. The people who queue for their meals are not asked any questions and there is no underlying proselytising agenda.

We know about Simon, Penny Dinners, Food Cloud, The Capuchin Day Centre and many more charities helping feed hungry Dubliners. 

I thought I’d just introduce you to one that I didn’t know about until recently.

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Joe Burke, R.I.P., A Listowel Connection

Back in February 2021, we lost one of Irelands most respected traditional musicians, Joe Burke.

Burke was world famous for his mastery of the button accordion but he also played fiddle, tin whistle, flute and uileann pipes. He was a frequent visitor to Listowel.

A man called Ian Stephenson posted this on the internet some years ago;

One St. Stephen’s day we were at a party given by the Wren Boys in Listowel. The session included Frankie Gavin, Joe Burke, Seamus Creagh, Jackie Daley, Paddy Glackin and several others including myself. In the middle of a set, somebody asked Joe. “Could you play the Hucklebuck?” To which he replied, “It’s time to get the Hucklef**k out of here…..

A squirrel in Co. Laois

Photo: Sinéad Hickey, Irish Wildlife Trust

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Beach walk in Ballybunion in April 2021

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A Titanic Story from Historical Tralee on Facebook

Bridget Delia Bradley was born in Ballyhulla just over the Cork/Kerry border near Ballydesmond, or Kingwilliamstown as it was then called.

The fifth oldest of nine children, 22-year-old Bridget Bradley had planned to travel to the US to start a new life and escape the poverty of her birthplace.

She paid £17 and 14 shillings for a third class ticket and boarded the Titanic with four companions at Queenstown on Thursday April 11, 1912.

When the Titanic began to sink, Bridget Bradley was one of the few lucky steerage passengers who made it to a lifeboat and survived, though witnesses said later that her fate could have been very different.

As her lifeboat was being lowered into the water she suffered an attack of panic and believing the Titanic would be safer she attempted to climb up the ropes back onto the sinking liner. Her life was only saved after one of the crew dragged her off the rope and back into the lifeboat.

Bridget Bradley eventually made it to Ontario in Canada where she found work, married and eventually died in 1956.

In 1953, having been persuaded by her family to attend, she was an emotional guest of honour at a screening of Clifton Webb’s movie Titanic.

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Old Listowel

Cathleen Mulvihill sourced some lovely old photos for Glin  Historical Society

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Credit Where Credit is Due

It was John Anthony Hegarty who found this old newspaper cutting. Here is what he says about the subjects and the occasion.

Thomas Christopher Hegarty was my father but because his father was also Thomas Hegarty, he was always called Christy

The photo was taken at the Old Mart Listowel at a farm event in 1984 at an 
instruction day on how to service farm equipment. 

L to R : Christy Hegarty, Tullamore, Tim Buckley, Derry, Listowel, 
Tim Hannon,Ballybunion  Agriculture Instructor , 
Willy O’Sullivan, Tullamore, William Barry, Moyvane all R.I.P

A Bee

Andrea Hunt, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Irish Wildlife Trust

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We are truly blessed who live by the sea

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The Titanic…a Kerry Connection

(pictures and story from Historical Tralee on Facebook)

Did you know that the ships doctor on the Titanic was a Tralee man?  built 111 years ago now Over 109 years  since its sinking ,,,,,,,,,,, There were 2,224 people aboard the luxury liner when it left Cobh, or Queenstown as it was then known, and for 1,514 of these unfortunate passengers it would be the last time they ever saw land.

Since the sinking of the Titanic many of its passengers have entered the history books.

Some because of their heroism and some, like the vilified White Star Line chief J Bruce Ismay, for their alleged cowardice in the face of disaster and death.

The stories of the Titanic’s survivors and its victims make for fascinating reading and shine a light on a class system that faded away just a few short years after the liner met its end.

Among these many stories are the tales of a handful of people from Kerry, from a renowned doctor to an impoverished emigrant servant girl, who have become part of the Titanic legend.

Perhaps the most interesting of the Kerry born passengers on the Titanic was the ship’s doctor, Tralee-born William O’Loughlin, who lost his life in the disaster.

William O’Loughlin was born and grew up on what is now Ashe Street in Tralee and which was then known as Nelson Street.

In 1872 having completed his studies in medicine in Dublin and at the age of 21, he decided to pursue a career at sea.

He would spend the next forty years of his life serving as a doctor on a range of ships and liners eventually rising to the position of Dean of Medicine for the White Star Line, the company that owned the Titanic.

When the Titanic launched in 1912, Dr O’Loughlin had become something of a curmudgeonly and avuncular figure. At the age of 62 he was beginning to tire of life at sea and protested at having to constantly transfer between the many ships owned by the White Star Line.

When he told Titanic Captain Edward Smith that he was considering retiring, the captain chided him, called him lazy and told the Tralee man to pack his bags and come with him.

He was subsequently appointed as the Titanic’s chief surgeon, a prestigious position that brought him into contact with many of the most famous and wealthy passengers on the liner.

During the Titanic’s brief maiden voyage, Dr O’Loughlin regularly dined with the ship’s designer Thomas Andrews and was often in the company of the ship’s most prominent passengers.

On the night of April 14, 1912, just hours before the Titanic sank, William O’Loughlin was dining with some of ship’s most famous passengers in the Titanic’s packed main dining room.

Seated at the same table as John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest passenger of the Titanic, Captain Smith, Thomas Andrews and White Star Line Director J Bruce Ismay, Dr O’loughlin became involved in a lively discussion about the technical marvel that was the Titanic.

With the boat making record time, bets on when the liner would reach New York were made at the table prompting Dr O’loughlin to raise his glass and lead a toast to the ship.

His exclamation “Let us drink to the mighty Titanic” was greeted with cheers in the dining room with all diners enthusiastically joining in the toast.

Just six hours later the Titanic would be at the bottom of the Icy north Atlantic.

Dr William O’Loughlin, who had always said he wished to be buried at sea, never made it off the Titanic. He was last seen arm in arm with his two assistants quietly waiting for the “mighty” liner to plunge into the depths.

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Senan O’Brien, Artist

Prints of the above lovely picture are available to buy from

Riverside Art Gallery

The artist is Senan O’Brien whose picture of Listowel Town Square in 1999 is doing the rounds on the internet recently. I included it here last week. 

I had never heard of the artist but I am now a firm fan since discovering him on the internet. I missed him when he held an exhibition in St. John’s. My loss!

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Memories and Expectations

I posted this photo last week in the context of famous people who were a familiar sight on the streets of Listowel.

In the picture are Fergal Keane and Éamon Ó Murchú. 

I’m posting the photo again because I have a story `about both men today.

The first story comes from Marie Shaw;

Hi Mary,

Fergal Keane’s uncle Michael Hassett and I were close friends for years in NY. We had dinner together once a week. I had to approve of any girl he was interested in. I remember one girl who worked at the Brooklyn Museum who confessed that she was scared to death to meet me but was delighted to hear that I liked her a lot. Their connection didn’t last which was a pity as they were perfect for each other. Michael sadly died in a fire in NYC at a young age. Fergal devoted a chapter in his book to him. Bittersweet memories.

Regards,

Marie

My Éamon story is a happier one.

Event by Kerry Writers Museum

Online event

Thursday, 22 April 2021 at 19:30 UTC+01

Price: free

Public  · Anyone on or off Facebook

‘I have been greatly privileged that, in my journey through life, I have had as a guide “the Master”, my friend Bryan MacMahon. He provided me with a unique lifelong education as teacher and friend’.
Éamon Ó Murchú

In this illustrated presentation Éamon will comment on the life and times of Bryan MacMahon, his warm personality, the philosophy of life that permeated his teaching and writing, his many talents, and his lifelong contribution to his hometown of Listowel.

This lecture will be delivered live on ZOOM. For a free registration link email kerrywritersmuseum@gmail.com

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Just a Thought

My last week’s Thoughts as broadcast on Radio Kerry from April 12 to April 16 2021 are here:  Just a Thought

Cherry Blossom Time 2021

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President Michael D. Higgins

Happy Birthday, a Uachtaráin

We, in Listowel, were honoured with a visit from our president on a few occasions. Here are some reminders.

Opening Night Listowel Writers’ Week, May 30 2012

With Julie and Mary celebrating Listowel’s win in Tidy Towns Competition

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I searched out these Listowel photos for you when I saw the below post on a Charleville Facebook page.

From Charleville Heritage Society

President Michael D Higgins and his Charleville connection his father was John Higgins he was employed here in Charleville at Owen Binchy and Sons grocer shop.

John married a local women Alice Canty from Liscarroll. This is what brought the Higgins to North Cork. John himself was a Clare man. John joined the local IRA. His active period was 1920 to 1923.

After the War of Independence John joined the anti-Treaty side

and Civil War roared on here in Charleville.

Families picking different sides and tearing families apart and the Higgins were no different John was anti-Treaty, but Michael D’s uncles Peter and Michael were pro-Treaty.

After the war people tried to get back to normal but it didn’t happen for John as he employer refused to give him his job back.

John paid a high price for standing up for what he believed in.

He was arrested in January 1923 during the Civil War and interned in the Curragh. He was released later the same year in December.

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Liam Dillon Remembered

My tribute to Liam evoked many happy memories and fond recollections for many people who knew him.

Here are just a few examples:

Hi Mary, very sad to hear of the passing of Liam Dillon. Liam and myself used to have great banter back in the day when I was a teenager. Coming from Colbert Street, John Joe’s was our local shop. Sometimes Liam would ask me to help in the shop if it was extra busy, which I enjoyed. When I was coming to England in 1972, he gave me a few pounds as a leaving present, which was lovely of him, he really was a lovely man and I always called in to the shop to see him when I was home in Listowel. Ann was my Geography teacher in 5th and 6th year Secondary school.  May their souls rest in peace. Regards. Rose Sheehan ( nee Shine ). 

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Hi Mary,

Lovely tribute to an old friend Liam Dillon. He was the ultimate gentleman and I always looked forward to meeting him and sharing a laugh. Whenever I went “home”, my first Stop was at his shop on Church St. No Irish money in my pocket but Liam made sure I had everything I needed to begin my vacation on Colbert St. I have an old fashioned habit of leaving the front door open whenever I am there. Liam would be passing by and ramble in for a chat and a cup of tea. We would chat about my aunt who owned that house and laugh about her habit of always having the door open. Even here in the US, my door is always open to the chagrin of many of my friends. Listowel has lost one of their own and he will be remembered and revered by all who were fortunate to call him friend. May his gentle soul RIP

Marie Shaw

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Lovely words Mary. Eamon’s eulogy was perfect. Delighted he quoted my father’s poem, The Street.
Liam was very kind to my grandmother, Hannie Keane, No 45 Church Street.
Liam’s mother and Hannie were great friends.
John Keane
104 Church Street

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Mary, thank you for publishing Eamonn Dillon’s eulogy.   I learned so much from it – amazing what a full life Liam and indeed Anne had.  Liam had so many interests that I wasn’t aware of.  Definitely lives well-lived.

Kay Caball

 Photo; Sheila Horgan, Blackwater Photographic Society

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Every Sunday in the 1980s

John Hannon’s great photo of Lofty Kelliher on a Sunday morning

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Murhur , Late 1980s

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I found the following essay on Athea and District News 2019

The Races

By Domhnall de Barra 

It is Listowel Races time again and there is hardly a word about it. At one time it was one of the major events in our calendar and the highlight of many people’s year. Back in those days there were just three days racing but there was a week long festival in Listowel that attracted great crowds from Kerry and all the neighbouring counties. It was called the Harvest Festival as it coincided with the end of the harvest and an opportunity for farmers, who had toiled hard in meadow, garden and bog all the summer, to take a well earned break. 

Farming was very labour intensive in those days with very little machinery to help out. Most of the work was done with pikes, spades and sleáns and of course it all depended on the weather. We must have had better summers back then because there was no silage to fall back on so. Although it took much longer to do, the hay was almost always saved. There must have been bad years as well but I suppose we look back with rose tinted glasses so we only remember the good ones. 

Anyway, the hay saved and drawn in, the turf home from the bog and the spuds dug so now it was time for the races. At school we looked forward to them for weeks. We always got a day off and some of us even sneaked the other two. We would discuss how we would get there and what we would do then. 

It had nothing to do with the actual horse racing, oh no we had no interest in them, we just wanted to see the wonderful displays in the shop windows and sample all the joys of the fun fair in the Marked Yard. This yard was filled with all kinds of entertaining things like swinging boats, chairoplanes, bumpers and stalls that rewarded you with a prize if you could throw a ring over an object on display. There was what seemed like circus music playing in the background and there was a constant buzz of conversation mixed with the screams of those who were riding high on the swinging boats or crashing into each other in the bumpers. There was also a special smell about the place that I can’t describe but it lingers in the memory forever. 

Of course all these rides cost money and that was our biggest problem. Money was in very short supply in those days so there was no point in depending on what you got at home. You might  get a certain amount all right but that wouldn’t last too  long so other ways of financing our trip had to be found. For us it was the picking of blackberries. There was a factory in Brosna that made fruit juices. The best known of these was a drink called “Pep Apple” which was mostly exported to the US. They also made blackberry juice so they bought blackberries that were collected in local shops.

 Peggy Leahy, who had a shop near Cratloe Creamery, bought blackberries for the factory and paid us by weight so, as soon as the berries were ripe, we were out with our gallons along the hedgerows picking away. Now, picking blackberries might seem easy but it was far from it. On the first day we ate more berries than we put into the gallons until we got sick of them. It took what seemed like forever to fill a gallon and it came at a price. No matter how hard you tried it was nearly impossible to avoid the thorns that surrounded the bushes so that our hands finished up a mixture of black from the berries and blood from the thorns. But, we persevered and walked with our gallons full to the shop to collect roughly a shilling for our labour. The scratches soon healed and we had enough money for the races. 

Most of the people from this neck of the woods went for at least one day. Very few actually crossed the bridge to the island where the real racing took place but they had a great time strolling the streets, meeting the neighbours and taking the odd libation in the welcoming hostelries. 

At that time the train ran through Abbeyfeale to Listowel and would be full on race days. Many is the man who caught the train in Abbeyfeale or Kilmorna, got off in Listowel, went into the nearest pub, Mike the Pie’s, and didn’t leave until the train was  going back again but they were “at the races”. 

My father was a racing man and went to most of the race meetings in the country. He had a lorry at the time so I had no problem getting to Listowel. As we passed each corner and side road, people would climb into the back of the lorry. No health and safety in those days!!  

Eventually, as I got a little older, I went with him across the bridge to the course for my first taste of horse racing. The first thing that interested me was the buskers who lined the lane down to the bridge playing accordions, banjos and fiddles with caps thrown in front of them to receive the few pence from the passers by. It was a lovely sound that could be heard from the Square all the way to the course. 

My first impression was the array of colour to be seen, especially on the jockeys who were bedecked in every colour of the rainbow. Then there was the hustle and bustle of the betting ring where punters jostled with each other to get the best odds which were bawled out by the bookies who stood up on a little platform. Then there was the parade ring where jockeys mounted after getting instructions from the various trainers who stood in little groups with owners and close connections. The racing itself was exciting with cheers and moans from the crowd as a favourite won or a horse, well backed, fell at a fence. 

The sights and sounds lingered in my head for days. Yes, there was magic in the air in Listowel, something I fear is sadly lacking in our modern society  with all it’s technology and advances. There are times when I am really glad to have been born when I was and got so much joy from the simple things in life.

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When meeting Famous People was an Everyday thing

Before Covid we used to have festivals galore. Meeting famous people was just accepted as a perk of living in North Kerry. Here are a few reminders.

 

Your blogger with Graham Norton at Writers’ Week

Jerry Hannon with Dáithí ÓSé at Listowel Races

Colm Tóibín and Brendan Kennelly at Writers’ Week

Fergal Keane and Éamon ÓMurchú at Writers’ Week

Liz Dunn and Éilís Wren with Caitríona Perry at Women in Media

                   

                           Me with Miriam O’Callaghan and Katie Hannon at Women in Media